A Savannah shrimper who faked his own death has been indicted by a federal grand jury for making a false distress call.

In addition, Kevin Klarell Washington, 32, and his wife, Lavonnia Denise Washington, 29, were indicted on charges of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute "50 grams or more of crack cocaine" between Oct. 1, 2004, and June 21.

Washington is charged with five counts of distributing crack cocaine during the conspiracy.

Officials said tips as well as the sudden renewal of Washington's Georgia driver's license led them to a home in Orlando, where the arrest occurred.

Washington has been returned to the district and is being held pending an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge G.R. Smith next week.

Washington's wife was arrested June 21 and released on $200,000 bond.

The grand jury meeting in Savannah returned three separate indictments in the case.

It also charged Washington's wife with concealing material facts concerning the investigation of her husband's disappearance and making false statements to the grand jury.

In addition, grand jurors charged Sapp, Washington's brother-in-law who was a crew member aboard the God's Mercy, in connection with the false death and disappearance.

Campbell, who allegedly rendezvoused with God's Mercy in a separate vessel Sept. 13 and returned Washington to shore, was charged with failing to report what he knew was the false distress call to the Coast Guard.

Washington's "death" had been considered suspect on the docks in Thunderbolt.

Washington was three days away from a federal drug indictment when he went missing, said Tommy Long with the U.S. Marshal's Service Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force.